Rescue Me

By Lara Van Hulzen

Keith is a soldier with a wounded heart.
Torie's secrets haunt her.
Can they trust love enough to mend what's broken?

Torie Walker is a police officer with a past she'd like to stay hidden from. Staying at her best friend's cabin in the mountains over Christmas is just what she needs. However, when a handsome cowboy saunters into her life, she takes the risk and trusts him with her secrets.

Keith Scott is a United States Marine. Home for the holidays, he intends to spend a quiet Christmas with his family. What he doesn't plan on is Torie Walker, a woman who mends his heart and makes him want to love again.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lara Van Hulzen
• Release date: Oct 20, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370272464

Lara Van Hulzen

Writing stories since she was a young girl, Lara's dream of being a novelist became a reality with her Men of Honor series. An avid reader, she worked as a book reviewer for 18 years with various organizations. She has a BA in Journalism and a Masters of Divinity in Chaplaincy. Lara loves tea, baseball and living in Idaho with her husband and Great Dane. NEWSLETTER: http://eepurl.com/dzaH39 BOOKBUB: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lara-van-hulzen LITSY: https://www.litsy.com/web/user/SheReadsAndWrites GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8897881.Lara_Van_Hulzen

Book preview

Lara Van Hulzen

Rescue Me

Book Two in the Men of Honor Series

Copyright © 2015 Lara Van Hulzen

All rights reserved.

No part of this work may be reproduced in any fashion without the express, written consent of the copyright holder.

This is a work of fiction. All characters and events are not based on any real persons living or dead.

Cover design by Crystal Posey

For Nate and Cole

May you be Men of Honor. Always.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Also by Lara

Chapter 1

Torie bolted up in bed.

Thunk!

Yep. She’d heard a noise in the kitchen. Moving with the stealth that years of being a cop had taught her, she grabbed her gun from the nightstand drawer and silently headed down the stairs.

Barefoot, she made her way to the kitchen, careful to not make a sound. Staying close to the wall, she listened as she moved.

A drawer opened and closed. Someone was definitely moving around the kitchen. But opening drawers? What were they looking for? What would a robber want from the kitchen? And how the heck had someone found her way out in the mountains?

Her blood ran cold and she gripped her gun tighter. She knew exactly who could find her. It was the reason she’d agreed to stay at Dane and Aimee’s cabin while they were on their honeymoon. It was secluded and safe. Or at least she’d thought so until now.

Was that humming? There was a man in the kitchen humming. Okaaay.

She peeked around the doorway into the kitchen. His back was to her, his broad shoulders blocking most of the window above the sink where he stood.

Hands up! She braced herself in the doorway, gun pointed, every fiber of her being on alert.

At first the man didn’t move. He didn’t raise his hands either. Interesting.

He took a deep breath, let it out, then turned to face her. Crossing his arms over his broad chest and leaning back against the counter, he said, Good morning, Torie.

Keith.

She dropped her arms, her gun now dangling by her side. Oh. It’s you.

He smirked. Not exactly a greeting that’s good for the ego, but okay. He pushed away from the counter and took his coat off, draping it over the back of one of the kitchen chairs.

The man was massive. And gorgeous. And someone Torie couldn’t stop thinking about since they’d met a few months ago. He looked rustic and manly and outdoorsy standing there. She couldn’t help but notice how the button-down shirt he wore, tucked neatly into Wranglers of course, showcased his muscular forearms. For heaven’s sake, the man was one big mountain of muscle. She suppressed a sigh.

Keith turned back to the counter and moved two cups of coffee along with a plate full of pastries to the kitchen table.

I brought you some breakfast.

She groaned. A fact she’d missed because A) she was freaked someone was in the kitchen and B) Keith had been standing in front of it and hello, who could look at anything but him? The man practically demanded to be ogled. At six-foot-five with sandy blond hair cropped military style, blue eyes that shimmered, and a physique that said, I was a Greek god in a past life, Dane’s brother was pure eye candy.

Torie managed a quiet, Thank you, before pulling out a chair and plopping down into it.

She laid her gun on the table and pointed to the other chair. Please sit.

You sure? You won’t shoot me or anything, will you? His eyes twinkled and dimples peeked out as he smiled at her.

Um, no. Sorry about that. She took an almond croissant and a napkin and dove in. Goodness, these things were sinful. And worth every calorie.

Keith took the seat across from her. He grabbed an enormous bear claw the size of his hand. They chewed in quiet for a moment, the ticking of the wall clock the only sound.

Torie loved it here. She was a country girl at heart. She’d lived in San Diego for a few years working as a police officer, but her true nature was wide-open spaces, not the city.

You want to tell me why you felt the need to pull a gun?

She wasn’t going there with him, that was for sure. Answering a question with a question always worked. You want to tell me why you didn’t even flinch?

He shrugged, took a bite of pastry and chewed. Guess he wasn’t in a hurry to answer her questions either. He took a swig of coffee and leaned back in his chair.

I heard you coming down the stairs. By the way you were moving I figured you thought I was unfriendly.

He’d heard her? What was he, part rabbit?

I also knew you wouldn’t shoot me. You’re a good cop. You would never pull the trigger unless you had to.

How do you know I’m a good cop?

Instinct. And Dane said so. There was that smile again that made her bones go gooey.

Dane was Keith’s brother and a cop. Well, used to be. He was also now married to Aimee, Torie’s best friend and former roommate. Dane and Aimee met in San Diego but decided to live up north, near Lake Tahoe, once they were married. Dane quit the police force to help Keith run the family cattle ranching business. Aimee offered their cabin to Torie while they were gone over Christmas so…here she was. With Keith. In the cabin kitchen. Munching pastries with her gun sitting between them. Her life was never boring, that was for darn sure. Boring would actually be nice for a change.

She’d hoped for boring when she agreed to stay up north through the holidays. But with Keith around, that was highly unlikely.

So is breakfast the only reason for this lovely visit?

He raised an eyebrow.

Not to sound ungrateful. This croissant is downright decadent. She took another bite.

My parents wanted me to check in on you. See if you needed anything.

That’s nice of them.

Colt and Ellie Scott owned the 4S Ranch and the land the cabin sat on. Keith had his own place on the other side of the property. Torie had never seen it, but she was curious, for sure. Keith was an enigma. One she wouldn’t mind figuring out.

You’re our guest. My parents’ southern hospitality will worm its way in whether you like it or not. He smiled then bit into the bear claw again.

She smiled back and took a sip of coffee. Although she was looking forward to time alone, hanging out with the Scotts sounded nice. When Torie accepted her friends’ offer of the cabin, she knew it was the perfect place for her to hide out, decide what to do next. Only when she got to the cabin did she realize she’d worked every Christmas she could remember to avoid the sense of loneliness that overwhelmed at times. Being with the Scotts would help her avoid it. And she was safe with them. That was a nice bonus.

Keith finished chewing and took a sip of coffee. My folks are protective as well. They know you’re important to Aimee, so that means you’re part of the family. We take care of family.

A lump formed in her throat and That’s nice, was all she could come up with in response. The concept of a loving, protective family was foreign to her on many levels.

What about your family? You don’t want to be with them for Christmas?

His question dug into her thoughts.

She shook her head. No family.

You don’t have family?

Torie wasn’t surprised he couldn’t wrap his head around that, especially with the loving family he had. The Scotts were kindness and acceptance personified. Loyal to a tee as well. She knew that much about them. They’d stepped up and helped protect Aimee not long ago when she was in trouble, with hardly any questions asked. And simply because she was important to Dane.

She shrugged but didn’t answer.

He crossed his arms and eyed her from across the table. Her heart skipped a beat and not because of the caffeine in her coffee. More from the way his steel blue eyes bore into hers, attempting to accept her cryptic answer.

Not sure if he would continue his inquiry about her family or not, she stood and started cleaning up the plates from the table. She took them to the sink and rinsed them before placing them in the dishwasher. Keith still didn’t say anything. Normally that kind of quiet with people made her nervous, but with him it didn’t. Huh. She shrugged and added her coffee mug to the dishwasher as well.

A movement outside the window caught her eye.

There’s a dog out there!

Keith stood and joined her at the sink, the warmth of his presence not lost on her. He smelled of pine and leather and fresh air. She breathed in deep, trying to quietly soak him in for one blessed moment.

"You’re absolutely right. There is a dog out there!"

His teasing tone made her laugh. She swatted him with a dishtowel that had been lying on the counter.

That’s Bones. She my best girl.

His best girl? Torie had never in her life been more jealous of a dog. Bones, huh? Not exactly super creative there, Big Boy.

Keith looked down at her with a smirk. You’re brave enough to try a nickname with me, are ya?

At six feet tall, having someone actually look down at Torie was unusual. But he didn’t intimidate her. She actually appreciated his size. For once a man didn’t make her feel like a giant. Sure. Why not? Although maybe Captain America is more appropriate since you’ve got the whole smoldering, kick-butt soldier thing going on.

Did she just say smoldering? Out loud? She turned and hung the dishtowel on the rack by the stove. Anything to avoid his eyes.

He chuckled.

Changing the subject was a good idea. So, why do you call her Bones?

He shrugged. I like the TV show.

She may have imagined it, but she could’ve sworn he blushed. To say it was cute didn’t justify how much more attractive it made the man. Ah, so you have a thing for smart women like the lead character on the show. I can respect that.

He looked at her, his eyes the color of a summer sky and said, No. She’s not my type.

Torie swallowed hard, afraid to ask what kind of woman was his type. She did, however, find her voice enough to say, She’s a beautiful dog. What breed is she?

He looked back out the window. She’s an Australian Cattle Dog.

I’ve never seen that breed before.

They’re perfect for ranching. Bones is one of the best dogs I’ve ever had.

Torie watched as Bones scratched her ear with her back paw then sat tall, ears perked towards the woods. The left side of her face was black with brown spots and speckled with white. The right side of her face was more white with black speckles. She was a patchwork of neutral colors and regal in stature.

Torie could hear in Keith’s voice that Bones meant more to him than a work partner on the ranch. She was his buddy. Torie’d had that. Once. But the outcome was so painful she tried to forget about it. Yet another glaring difference in the way she and Keith grew up. Their worlds couldn’t be more opposite.

I better get going.

His deep voice brought her out of her thoughts.

Oh. Sure. Of course. I’m sorry to have kept you. I’m sure you have lots of ranch things to do today.

Ranch things?

Well, yeah. You know… She waved towards the window.

He laughed and put his coat on before opening the back door.

Thanks for breakfast.

He nodded. Sure thing. I wrote down my cell number and my parents’ numbers over there. He pointed to the corner counter in the kitchen. I also left you a walkie-talkie. Sometimes that’s easier than the phones when we’re out on the property.

A warm feeling moved through Torie’s middle. She was being watched over. Cared for. It had been way too long since she’d felt that. She missed it more than she realized.

Thanks. I appreciate that.

He took his Stetson off a hook on the kitchen wall, put it on, and tipped it to her in a nod. Have a good day.

He ducked out the door and down to Bones, who wagged her tail then stepped in beside him. He opened the door of his truck and she climbed on in, her sweet doggy face smiling. He started the truck and with a wave, drove away.

Torie closed the door and eyed the paper and walkie-talkie. This might be a better holiday than she thought.

***

Keith’s truck bounced along the road between Dane’s cabin and his. Wanting their boys nearby, his parents had made sure they could build cabins where they wanted, far enough away for privacy from the main house, but still on Scott land.

He listened as Sam Hunt sang about leaving the night on and tapped the steering wheel. Aware that his mother was playing matchmaker once again, he hadn’t fought her on paying Torie a visit to welcome her and make sure she was okay and all set at the cabin. He hadn’t expected the hitch in his pulse when he turned to see her pointing a gun at him. However, he was more distracted by her pajama pants with Santa hats on them and the Keith Urban concert T-shirt she wore. Not to mention her beautiful long blonde hair mussed from sleep that was sexy as hell.

Torie strolled into his life a few months before when Aimee needed protection from a thug who was chasing her. As Aimee’s roommate and a cop, Torie helped apprehend the guy and put him behind bars.

She was staying at the cabin for the holidays. No family, and for some reason she was jumpy. Interesting. She hadn’t caught him off guard when she pulled her gun on him. He was a highly trained United States Marine. But he was curious as to why she felt the need to be so paranoid out here on his family’s land. Didn’t she know she’d be safe? Something haunted her and he wanted to know what.

She’d been a large part of Keith’s thoughts since he’d laid eyes on her. She’d pulled up in her old beat-up truck and his heart had pulled towards her in a way he didn’t think it ever would again. He’d been breaking in a new horse that day and almost fell off when she got out of her truck, all six feet of her, and made her way towards the corral. She’d really gotten his attention, going toe to toe with him about the plan to catch the thug chasing Aimee. Few people dared. Certainly not a female.

But his gut told him there was more to this woman than met the eye. Tough and beautiful exterior. Lonely on the inside. He saw it in her eyes. Definitely when he’d asked her about family. His curiosity was piqued for sure, and he had every intention of getting to know more about Miss Torie Walker.

He rubbed behind Bones’s ears and chuckled.

This is going to be an interesting holiday season indeed, sweet girl.

Bones looked at him and grinned.

Chapter 2

Well, now what?

For the first time since arriving at the 4S Ranch, Torie questioned her decision to stay through the holidays.

She had taken a shower and dressed in her comfiest jeans and a dark blue turtleneck sweater. She stood in the middle of the living room and looked around. Dane and Aimee had done a nice job with the place.

The living room had a deep brown sofa and love seat with an ottoman in front. An alpaca rug lay before the fireplace. Knotty pine walls and ceiling made for a pure cabin feel and windows lined the front and side of the house, looking out to the wraparound porch and lush fields beyond. Huge pine trees outlined the property, creating a wall of woodsy protection.

It was rustic and homey. Inviting. Made you want to kick off your shoes and cozy up by the fire for a while. But as appealing as that sounded, Torie was too wound up. Did she ever stop working long enough to just sit and stare? No. She didn’t. And she knew why. Letting her mind wander meant too much of a chance for old ghosts to creep in and poke around.

Leaving a few days